Ultrasound is a medical imaging tool that, in certain implementations, permits health care practitioners to locate and visualize internal bodily structures, such as blood vessels and internal organs. When these internal structures need to be accessed, ultrasound is sometimes used to direct an instrument toward the target structure. For example, ultrasound may be used for to assist with venous line placement, arterial line placement, biopsy, drainage, ablation, or other interventions.
Unfortunately, despite the improvements in ultrasound technology, as well as training and operator skills, it is still difficult to reliably and continuously direct the instrument to the target structure without complications. While an improvement over unguided approaches, current ultrasound probes are still limited in the guidance that they provide.
It should be appreciated that there is a need for an ultrasound probe that enables heath care practitioners to safely perform procedures involving internal bodily structures with greater ease and accuracy and fewer complications. The probe should reliably and continuously direct an instrument from a surface to a target structure beneath the surface. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.